While blonde hair trends have been plentiful, 2024 has also ushered in several luxe-looking brunette looks, all centring around cooler tones and shine. Winter is set to take this one step further, with a minimalistic but striking hue that goes by the name of 'monobrown'...
If you've stayed across this year's hair trends, you'll know that brunettes have been having a whole lot of fun, with several glossy and multi-dimensional hues gaining popularity - from taupe brown to cinder toffee brunette. This season is set to be a very similar story but instead of boasting a blend of cool or radiant golden tones, winter's trending brown shades will have one very interesting thing in common - a completely monochromatic finish. According to Tom Smith, trend forecaster, international artist in residence at Billi Currie and International Creative Colour Director at evo, they will all share, "a clean, even and high-shine base colour, with no obvious contrast."
Dubbed the monobrown hair trend, these minimalistic colours afford an elevated and bold effect, making them the perfect option for those seeking to refresh their natural, dark brown strands - or wanting a complete hair transformation. Here's everything you need to know...
What is the Monobrown hair trend?
Mononbrown effectively refers to block brunette shades that are rich and deep but do not feature any shifts in tone or highlights running throughout. They are solid and offer a refreshing departure from balayage and other multi-dimensional looks. However, these tones aren't flat or dull-looking thanks to a healthy gleam, which is accentuated by the tone's uniform colour.
Having coined the term, Smith elaborates, describing these block shades as very glossy and striking in look and says they are ideal for those, "with naturally deeper hair." That said, Smith also notes that they're suitable for those with fairer hair if you can also dye your eyebrows to match - to achieve cohesion and fully embrace the bold finish. Picture Emily In Paris star, Lily Collins' dark brown bob - her hair colour is very rich but completely uniform, with no obvious highlights.
"It can be a beautifully striking look in either case," says Smith: "Just be sure you’re willing to use the correct products to maximise the shine and gloss in your hair, which is needed when reducing contrast or dimension in the colour technique."
How to request and maintain the colour
RRP: £26.50
To maintain this monochromatic look, post-salon, Smith recommends the evo Fabuloso treatment in either Chesnut or Mahagony for red or richer brunette shades. If you dislike warm tones or are trying to ward off brassiness, opt for Cool Brown. The colour-boosting masks themselves are designed to revive and add shine to your strands - getting to work in just three minutes.
RRP: £19
Shine is key to achieving this uniform, all-over colour and a semi-permanent gloss, like this one from Josh Wood, can help to top up both your chosen brunette tone and that all-important gleam. This gloss enhances vibrancy and harnesses shea butter to condition your lengths. It's suitable on both natural and colour-treated hair and lasts for up to six weeks. This chocolate shade in particular is designed to elevate brunette strands by adding a rich, mocha tone. Like with all toning and colour-treating products, be sure to do a strand test before use.
RRP: £27
As mentioned, a glossy shine is paramount to elevating this single-shade look and Color Wow's iconic Dream Coat promises to smooth your hair, protecting it from humidity, warding off flyaways and adding a healthy-looking reflective sheen - that lasts for up to three shampoos.
To request this rich and expensive-looking trend yourself, Smith advises to, "ask your stylist for a simple uniform brunette shade with an additional layer of a matching gloss for the required intensity and shine."
In terms of maintenance, Smith notes that this all comes down to the natural starting colour of your hair: "The less contrast, the less maintenance. If you’re naturally deeper-haired then shifting tone to go for this monochromatic shade, whether warm, cool or neutral will be easy and low maintenance. If you’re lightening much darker hair to get a rich shade you’ll need to do the roots every two months or so, but If you happen to be blonder naturally, the roots will be quite obvious and may require monthly top-ups."
As for achieving the signature glossiness that enhances this style of monotone colour, Smith recommends evo's line of treatments: "Evo Fabuloso colour boosting treatments come in a variety of shades which can be used to add tone and richness to deeper hair. In the salon, I custom mix a pigmented conditioner based on the same concept that is your very own custom home toner to keep the tone and shine topped up."
6 celebrity monobrown hair looks to consider for winter
If you're looking to ditch your highlights and instead embrace this monochromatic brunette trend, we've rounded up a few famous faces who sport this one-shade style...
1. Anne Hathaway's dark chocolate hair
Anne Hathaway's hair is the perfect example of this look and is a shade to consider for the winter months. It's dark but rich and boasts a healthy and very natural-looking shine.
2. Ciara's dark brown curls
Smith cites Ciara's hair from the Black Beauty Excellence Luncheon in September as another point of reference for this deep and monochromatic look. Ciara's hair is dark but has a hint of warmth that adds to the depth.
3. Sofia Vergara's chestnut hair
If you find the idea of going a dark brunette shade a tad daunting or perhaps have lighter brown strands naturally, Sofia Vergara proves that you can still achieve this uniform, glossy look to great effect.
4. Zoe Saldana's warm-brown hair
If you prefer warmer tones over cooler ones, Zoe Saldana's brunette hair boasts a very flattering reddish undertone which helps to accentuate the glossy shine of her strands.
5. Lily Collin's dark brunette bob
If you're tempted by one of this year's short crops - like the Bell-bottom bob - Lily Collin's cool, dark brunette bob is all the inspiration you'll need. Again, her hair is one, all-over colour but it doesn't look flat or dull, thanks to its depth and shine.
6. Sandra Oh's rich brown curls
Sandra Oh's warm brunette hair demonstrates how this trend can elevate your natural shade with the help of a toning gloss. Here we can see that Oh's hair is all one, warm colour, which creates a very flattering and striking look that still has dimension, especially where her strands catch the light - revealing that warm, reddish undertone.
